Impact Factor (2025): 6.9
DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET
The
escalating demand for concrete in infrastructure development and the concurrent
depletion of natural fine aggregates has necessitated urgent research into
sustainable supplementary materials. A
systematic and experimental investigation into the use of Ground Granulated
Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) and Wood Ash (WA) to partially replace fine
aggregate in M25-grade concrete is presented in this thesis. Wood ash, an
industrial and agricultural by-product generated from biomass combustion in
thermal power plants, brick kilns, and sugar mills, and GGBFS, a latent
hydraulic by-product of pig iron manufacturing, are abundantly available in
India and pose significant environmental disposal challenges when
unutilized. The study employs a
systematic experimental design wherein WA and GGBFS are used individually and
in combined proportions (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of fine aggregate)
to assess fresh and hardened concrete properties. Workability (slump cone test), compressive
strength (7-day and 28-day), split tensile strength, flexural strength, and
water absorption were all tested in accordance with the applicable guidelines
set forth by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The cost analysis of ash
processing for carbon removal and the confirmation that the used wood ash does
not contain unburned carbon—a factor that has a significant impact on the
microstructure and hydration of concrete—are crucial components of this
investigation. Experimental results indicate that optimum replacement levels of
WA and GGBFS yield concrete with mechanical properties meeting or exceeding the
M25 design strength of 25 N/mm². The
findings support the feasibility of utilizing these industrial by-products in
concrete manufacturing, thereby contributing to sustainable construction
practices, waste reduction, and partial conservation of natural river sand
resources.
Country : India
IRJIET, Volume 10, Issue 3, March 2026 pp. 219-222